Gladiators MD quizzed, report unlikely today
The two-member ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit panel had a busy day on Sunday when they interrogated some officials of the Bangladesh Premier
League champions Dhaka Gladiators at a city hotel.
The officials interrogated include Gladiators managing director Shihab Chowdhury, who was implicated by Mohammad Ashraful, the prime accused in the ongoing match-fixing investigation by ACSU.
The ACSU had earlier reportedly quizzed Ashraful at least three times but ignored the owners of Gladiators, who are believed to be the masterminds in the entire saga.
It was reported that Gladiators chairman Salim Chowdhury and managing director Shihab Chowdhury asked Ashraful to give up the matches and use certain bowler in certain overs.
The Gladiators owners reportedly had a meeting with Ashraful before the tournament when they promised to clear the dues of first edition if he manages to fix some matches.
Though the Gladiators owners vehemently denied the allegations, their involvement in the affair became further clear, when their bowling coach Mohammad Rafique accused them for match-fixing.
Rafique, himself an accused for introducing Ashraful to the bookies, told reporters that the team had lost the match against Chittagong Kings as desired by the owners.
The ACSU finally took a note of these allegations and quizzed two other Dhaka Gladiators officials named Ali Akbar and Jamilur Rashid. It could not be confirmed if they wanted to interrogate Gladiators chairman Salim Chowdhury.
A Gladiators official on Sunday said Salim already left the country and is unlikely to return anytime soon.
A spokesman for Rapid Action Battalion told reporters that they were formally requested by the Bangladesh Cricket Board to help ACSU in completing their investigation.
If ACSU desires to interrogate someone and he does not co-operate, the RAB was given the mandate to ensure his presence. They will also co-operate with ACSU in scrutinising all evidences.
‘We helped ACSU in some ways during their previous visits. But this for the first time we were formally requested by the BCB to provide all co-operation to the panel,’ said ATM Habibur Rahman, legal and media wing director.
‘We will make sure that everyone is present before the panel if asked for the sake of investigation. We will also help them scrutinise the evidences.’
The ACSU panel is scheduled to meet the BCB president, Nazmul Hasan, today, though it is unlikely for them to submit any reporter as was suggested earlier.
The acting BCB chief executive officer Nizmuddin Chowdhury said if the ACSU panel members feel they need to do further investigation they can always do it.
‘It is completely under their jurisdiction whom they will interrogate or not. We don’t interfere in their activities. We can only provide them logistic support if they request us,’ he said.
Nizmauddin also refused to confirm if the ACSU investigation will be limited to the BPL or they will also take the recent allegations of spot-fixing in international matches into consideration.
‘Everything depends on the ACSU findings, we cannot comment,’ said the tight-lipped BCB official.
-With New Age input
